everybody should at least know the existence of this place. although not as “prideful” as the great wall of China, but it is already now under the world heritage record. MANY MANY many years ago.. the hakka people from.. somewhere near Guang Zhou? was being chased due to some racial thingy. so, they ran and ran and ran, and set foot in Yong Ding. and mind you, even by car it takes more than 8 hours. so how far you think they ran?

there are around 20,000 tulous around but mostly abandoned or ripped off already. it is a very very very big “house” for a huge family. sometimes the tulou is so big that some people don’t know each other in the house. most big tulous have approximately 80 families, a family a room, and on the ground floor, it’s usually for the kitchen, cages and so on. you don’t want to know about the toilet.

okay so lets begin with my pictures.

Jamie Liew overnighted in a place filled with dried up grass, road of sands and soil, and everywhere stray dogs, cows, ducks, goats and SANDFLIES. it was the worst place I’ve ever stayed at, and the bathroom is DOWNSTAIRS. imagine you have to wear your pjs early in the morning to the bathroom downstairs at around 6degrees? AND, there is no mirror. but Jamie managed to survive. thank goodness.

houses there are 80% like these. they are called, the earth houses. they say it’s built with earth. aka MUD. hardened mud mixed with some sort of stuff. and the floor on the upper floors really makes you feel like you make a hole on the wooden floor. seriously.

the larger view of the half moderned tulou, half built with cement. I think.

with no mirror, I managed to look like this lah. and NEVER wear boots my god. I thought the road wouldn’t be all rock. had a hard time, even climbing up there.  I got up step by step, holding on to my sisters jacket. I actually went to Yong Ding 3 years ago(now 4) and I was so cheated. that tulou I went to is a SINGLE tulou, totally meant for tourist as they have bitumen layed on the roads and all. and trust me, it isn’t so pretty after all. I forgetten the name of that village but just don’t go to any single tulou. especially if you see loads of tourists with buggys around. go to…

Chuxi Tulou! they are the most beautiful ones as I have heard. and see that white tulou there? it’s a hotel, better than the one I stayed in, much better to be precise. and, they have really cute door gifts! if only we didn’t arrive so late, we could’ve went in to explore and find this hotel.

the view from a lower place. they are built in such a unique way; big “house” and small windows is because they want to prevent the.. er.. mountain thieves? from attacking them. I just cannot imagine, in such a kampung sankala place (remote area =D), there are thieves.

and you’d maybe once in a while find uncles drawing up there, and they draw really well too. I just can’t stand the sun there, and he’s sitting right under it for hour-r-r-r-r-rs.!

I know you are getting bored of seeing me/the almost same view, so let’s move on to the inside of the tulou’s alright?

really beautiful, it always reminds me of Chinese New Year. and a great spot for photographers. really really nice. and yeah, the dark side on the left, is the toilet, toilet without tissue papers or a sink. just a bucket. yes, you do your business in that bucket, and the next person who goes in will see the business you did. imagine when the bucket’s dealt with 10 big business. ewwwww.

there is around two roads, one’s the main road, and the “shortcut” which is still kind of far for me is this, where I am really scared. you know, those are rocks, and mines heels!

okay, so to let you know, this picture is not edited, other than that watermark. the exposure and all are natural! taking pictures there is just so great especially to camwhorers. when the sun’s great, your 5k lightings is still no match to it. =3.

but inside, maybe a 2k lighting will help a little ><. I am so so damn jealous. everybody’s got flashlight pfft. nevermind, sun’s the best T___T.

see! sun’s good! (I should look up a little)

well, there are actually many kinds of tulou, square, hexagonal, round, rectangle, u-shaped… for the ones I saw, they are mostly circular. and I really like this one. <3. and oh yeah, this one is actually not considered as VERY BIG. It’s actually a museum. better than the cheat money one, all shops, and you cannot go upstairs to take pictures. it looks incredible especially with fish eyes. =D.

toodles! tuition again.. sigh.

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Tan Yee Hou
15 years ago

Its ‘cement’ you idiot; not ‘semen’.

Kyeanies
15 years ago

Teeheee. I love what you were wearing!! <3

boon kheng
15 years ago

These tulous were once mistaken to be superweapons o.O when viewed from satellites. LOL.

admin
15 years ago

Yee Hou, too much of bio T____T. pfft.

Koh Kyean, thanks xD. really same taste in most of the stuff huh =P!

Boon Kheng, NO! the guai lou’s thought it was where UFO landed. HAHAHA. really! =P. forgotten to write it down tim.

Huai Bin
15 years ago

Hello Jamie! You have the same name as my boss, which is a really nice guy. 😉

Anyway, you from Fujian, that makes you Hokkien right?

admin
15 years ago

I AM HAKKA! not from fujian. fujian is just where my dad works =P. love it there though. heheeee.

Huai Bin
15 years ago

Ah okay. The round buildings looks amazing. I like the structure, haven’t been to China before. I must make a trip there someday. I am of Heng Hua descent, which would put me somewhere beneath the Fujian province IIRC.

Chriso
15 years ago

oi can go change your admin to your name at least. damn cacat la u hahahah!

Darren
Darren
15 years ago

Hi JL, really nice pictures, I wanna go! How did you get to this place? Was it by coach/bus? Were the roads very dangerous to travel on or not?

Thanks

Jamie
15 years ago

Huai Bin, Heng Hua.. @@. never heard of it before.. hahaa, will investigate it when I am back in China =P. the round buildings are actually pretty unique, but really boring. =/. and it isn’t really a good idea to overnight there because at night it is so dark and scary T_T.

Chriso, YES! xD.

Darren, thanks! =D. well you can go from Guang Zhou, Xia Men or Fuzhou I think, there is this bus/tour thingy, really gotta ask around. I went there by my dad’s car so I don’t really know how to get there via public transport. the roads are all right, there isn’t many cliffs, mostly flat land with a lot of.. greens.. erm, plantations.. from my place (Quan Zhou) to the tulou is around 4 hours and from Xia Men I guess it’ll take around 3.

Darren
Darren
15 years ago

:O)

Coolio, thanks for that. I was told that the roads would be muddly and close to cliff edges :o/ Guess I will have to dig deeper and see how much I can trust the bus drivers there.